Washboard.



' v vnNEssEs I. LEDAN. WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION msn Aue. 15. |911.

1,250,193- l framed nw. 18,1917.

j@ g j. I .z Josiah Leda JOSIAH LEDAN, HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

` WASHBOABD.

Specication of Letters Patent. l Patented D90, 18', 1917 Application tiled August 15, 1917. Serial No. 186,385.

To all whom t may concerne.'

Be it known that I, JosIAH LEDAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vashboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wash boards.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a board the corrugated rubbing surface of which is entirely of wood construction thus eliminating injury to the hands of the user, and tearing of the clothing being washed such as often occurs where a metal rubbing surface is used and has become partly worn away. A still further ob-` ject is to provide a board having a removable back for the rubbing portion of the board which may be quickly and easily removed to permit thorough cleaning and washing of the rubbing elements. A still further object is to provide a board composed of a minimum of parts, the parts being of standard construction and so related as to permit the board to be produced in a very short time and at comparatively small cost. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings l Figure 1 is a front view of a board constructed in accordance with my invention partly brokenaway to show the interior conf struction.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a back view.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The side pieces 1 and 2 of the board are of substantially elongated elliptical or cigar shape. being tapered at their lower ends to provide the supporting legs 3 and 4, respectively. Side piece 2 is provided, in its inner face, with a central longitudinally extending groove 5, which is in alinement transversely of the board with a similar groove 6 formed in the inner face of side piece 1. A bar 7 extends across the board a short distance from the lower ends of the side pieces 1 and 2. The ends of this bar extend through the side pieces, and the bar is ixedly secured in position at the lower ends of the grooves 5 and 6 by means of securing screws 8. A plurality of rubbing .members or rods 9 are mounted onthe lower bar 7 in super- 'Y posed relation', the-end portions of these rods fitting snugly into the grooves 5 and@ of the side pieces 2 and 1, respectively. A cross bar 10 similar to bar 7 is iXedly secured in the side pieces closely adjacent the uppermost rodl 9 and in contact therewith. The rod 9, together with the bars 7 and 10, provide a corrugfatedr rubbing surface the individual elements of which are effectuallyse- 'cured against movement longitudinally of the board. vA Vcross brace 11 which is secured to the legsB and 4, vand-a ytop piece 12 secured in the upper ends of the side pieces by tenon vjoints,'coperate with the bars 7 and 10 to eEectually rprevent vlateral movement or lspreading' apart of the side pieces ofthe board. f 'f 1 v Y A back board13 is mounted in close contact with one face of therubbing portion of the board composed of the rods 9 and bars 7 and 10. This back is of such width as to lit snugly between the side pieces 1 and 2, and of such length as to extend to withinV a.

short distance above the lower rod 7. The' upper portion of the back board is beveled upwardly andV inwardly, on its outer face, as at 13a so as to provide a portion which can be readily inserted into a longitudinally eX- i tending groove 14 formed in the under face of top board 12 for this purpose. The inner edge of this groove is in the plane of the surface of the rubbing portion of the board against which the back board fits. A soap shelf 15 is secured to the inner face of the back board 13. The under face of this shelf is inclined, as at 15a, and the shelf is so positioned that, when the back board is in operative position, the under face of the shelf will rest on the uppermost portion of bar 10 so as to prevent downward movement of the back board, the top board 12 and the soap shelf thus coperating to positively prevent movement of the back in either direction longitudinally of the board. This back board is secured in position by a clamping bar 16 which is pivotally secured at its center to the board 13. The ends of bar 16 are beveled outwardly and are adapted to lit snugly into the shelf grooves 17 and 18 formed in the inner faces of side pieces 1 and 2, respectively, when the arm is turned into horizontal position thus securing the back firmly in position. By this means, the back may be readily removed for Lad As will be noted fronrFigsi 4Q andiA 5'- ol'itlie drawing, the side piece 1 is provided with..

two or the grooves 17, which are positioned equi-distant 'from the central groove 6, side piece 2 is? providedV with two grooves 1&8 which are in alinement transversely of the board with the grooves 17. The top piece 12 is also provided with two longitudinally extendinggrooves 14 which are positioned equi-distant from the center of the top piece. By this construction, the board may be quickly and easily secured at either side of the rubbing portion thereof preferred, as'will be evident. This rendersl it possible, when one surface of the rubbing portion of the board has become worn, to quickly and easily shift the board so asy to expose the other surface, thus materially increasing thelife of the board andV its usefulness.'

As will be noted,l the rubbing portion of the board is composed mainly of the rods 9 which are all of identical con-struction, and the side pieces 1 and 2 are identical, the bars 7 and 10 being duplicates or each other; All of these parts may be quickly and easily produced at small cost, thus providing a board of very simple construction which may be made very cheaply.

`What l claim is 1. 1n wash boards, two spaced side' pieces each provided inits inner face with a central longitudinally extending groove and two lateral grooves parallel withv and equidistan't from said central groove,= a plurality of rods mounted in the central grooves in superposed relation, brace bars secured in said side pieces above and below said rods so as to prevent movement otJ the same vvlongitudinally of the board, a back board positionedv between the side pieces closely adjace'nt the4 said1 rods, a top board secured to theupper ends of the side pieces, a soap sli'el secured on the inner face of the back board and so positioned as to cooperate with the top board and the upper brace bar so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the back board, and means carried by the back board and adapted to engage into said lateral grooves orsecurin-g. the baclrboard inY operative. positioiradjaeent ,either rubbing surface formed' by the said rods, optionally. l

2. ln wash-boards, two side pieces each provided in its inneruface with' a central longitudinally extending groove and two lateral grooves parallel` therewith and equidistant from the central groove, al plurality of rods mounted iin said eei'itral groovey in superposedfrelation, brace bars seeu'red in said sidel pieces above and below said rods so as to prevent ,movement ot the same lonkgitudinally of the board, abzielt' board positioned between the side ,piecesA closely adjacent the said rods, and a clamping bar pivotally secured at its center on the said back boa-rd and having' its ends beveled so as to be engageable in'to the said lateral grooves or the side pieces whereby the back board may be secured in position adjacent either face of the rubbing element, option- In testimony whereof l my signature in presence of two witnesses. l

l JQSIAH LEDAN. l/Vitnesses VINIFRED NEARY, VV. BRQWN.

Copies of this patent may te cbtaine for ive tents each, by addressing the Commissioner o@ @stenta Wgshtagton, 1U). G. 

